This may come as a surprise to many but it is actually true that over 70% of tournament-grade dart boards are made in Kenya.
But there is a catch to the story because it is also a complex tale of not-so-Kenyan companies making it big in Kenya and beyond.
Key Takeaways
- Nodor was started in 1921, has about 400 employees, and makes 10,000 darts per week.
- It represents a complex dynamic of Kenya’s firms excelling abroad.
- It raises the question of what a regular small business owner can do to compete and thrive both locally and internationally in the manufacturing business.
- It points to the lucrative local economy especially readily-available labour.
- It also highlights the political environment challenges around the implementation of ideas and innovations.
Kenya’s Hidden Potential as an Investment Destination
Kenya is a thriving economy and those who dare to invest despite these implied challenges tend to reap well.
Historically though, economic and governance woes have made it almost believable that it is hard to excel in business internationally if you are locally based. This is assumed to be especially so without the right social connections to the ruling elite.
Part of this sentiment is true because, first, the Kenyan economy is fairly stable. It has moments of disruption that previously have caused major damage to international supply chains relying on it.
Besides the post-election violence periods, for instance, there are other factors such as the predicted imminent economic collapse by UNCTAD with a 0.5 vulnerability index, general regional instability especially in Neighboring Somalia and Sudan, and the debt burden.
Second, the political landscape is hard to navigate with corruption taking centre stage in business decisions.
As a habit, government officials are known to put their hands on everything that could be seen as thriving.
There is a rumour that Samsung, for example, wanted to invest in a production plant here in Kenya but then certain politicians wanted kickbacks in the form of shares in the plant and their insistence ended up sabotaging the whole plant as Samsung headed elsewhere.
This may cause you to wonder how then a Kenyan firm could be a world leader in making a product used globally.
Well, it is because, despite the few highlighted issues, Kenya has almost everything you would need to run a global company.
The story of Nodor Darts sheds some light on the scenario.
Nodor Darts – Dart Board Manufacturer in Kenya
Nodor Darts is the firm behind the 70% of tournament-grade darts that are produced in Kenya.
The company is located in Athi River and produces over 10,000 dart boards a week with a workforce of around 400 employees.
Among the things, the owners of the firm pride themselves in is being a family-owned business and having invested in the latest and best-grade production equipment with a highly skilled workforce.
Their business traces back to the British colonization of Kenya as it was established in 1921 by the Bluck family and was among the first dart board manufacturers globally.
The production process is highly reliant on tungsten – a type of metal whose price ranges from $25 to $2500 per kilo – but it is Nodor’s proprietary approaches that remain a competitive advantage for them.
Not Really a Kenyan Company
It is arguable that Nodor is not a Kenyan company in the strict sense of the word.
It is owned by the Bluck family in the UK and little is known about its local connections. Arguably, even in the case that it has local godfathers, as is the case with many foreign entities with a base in Kenya, it remains just a foreign business operating locally.
The authentic nature of some of the firms that excel locally has always been a point of debate and Nodor is thus not an entirely unique case.
One perspective of such businesses is that they exist because of a paternalistic relationship between the west and its African colonies that is rivetted even in business today.
The same debate came up regarding the Del Monte farm in Naivasha, some flower-producing farms in the also in Naivasha, conservancies and lodges in Nanyuki, Maasai Mara, and other places in the country.
In some of these cases, exploitation has been cited as a key component of their operations.
Kickbacks, Frustration, and Slave-like Work
Small businesses in Kenya have the potential to thrive. Some of the greatest ideas and innovations are by Kenyans and there are significantly successful businesses that are owned by locals.
However, a critical problem for small-scale investors remains the seemingly intentional frustration by the political elite through bending rules, selfishness, and manipulation.
If, for instance, you need to open certain types of businesses, especially in manufacturing, you will be surprised that the formal process almost does not work.
You need to “talk” to lots of people outside their offices in order to get approvals that should otherwise be given to any willing investor.
This has created a loophole where only those with big money and the right connections get permits and approvals.
Good evidence of this frustration is the underground manufacturing in the infamous Kariobangi area that is being done by those investors who would rather not issue millions in kickbacks just to set up a soft drinks factory or a shoe manufacturing operation.
The lack of support for local investors seeking to grow and compete internationally has left the market at the mercy of foreign investors with deep pockets and almost no ethical standings in their business ventures.
The result has been numerous foreign-owned companies with local godfathers operating in an open field. Rules are especially flouted when it comes to labour. A Twitter thread recently done by a Kenyan worker revealed how companies associated with foreigners pay peanuts for almost round-the-clock work.
That is how we have ended up with firms that mint millions in sales globally by exploiting local labour and manipulating a system enabled by our own leaders and gatekeepers.
Where is the Win-Win?
Firms like Nodor may be the pride of Kenya in the international markets at the moment but their stories can be argued as not authentically Kenyan.
In fact, it has been said that it is hard to find a genuinely locally owned venture without any ties to some elite family or foreign names that are thriving here and abroad.
Some also argue that these foreigner-owned firms may also not be bringing in as much benefit here as they are taking to their home countries.
The sad part is that such firms will always exist.
Exploitative economics are a global phenomenon with firms like Apple, Cadbury and Nike being accused of exploiting cheap labour and weak laws in third-world countries like India, China, Ghana, and Ivory Coast among other places.
The only hope for small-scale investors in Kenya remains in the ruling class, the lawmakers, and the elite pioneering the collective realization that true economic freedom exists in preferential opportunities to a country’s citizens.
China has done this and excelled and so can Kenya.
